Improvement in dyeing wool, silk



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ROBERT E. GRATRIX, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

IMPROVEMENT IN DYEING WOOL, SILK, &c., WITH ANILINE COLORS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 38,306, dated April 28, 1863.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ROBERT HODGSON GRA- TRIX, of the city, county, and State of New York, have invented a new and useful Im provement in Dyeing Yarns'or Fabrics of Worsted, Wool, Silk, or other Animal Substances with Aniline Colors; and I do hereby declare that the following is aful], clear, and exact description of the same.

This invention applies to yarns or fabrics made of worsted, wool, silk, or other animal substances not mixed with cotton or other vegetable substances; and the invention consists in the application to such yarns or fabrics of chloride of lime and sulphuric acid in about the strength and. proportion and in the manner hereinafter specified, and preparatory to the ordinary dyeing process.

To enable others skilled in the art to fully understand and use my invention, I will proceed to describe it.

The yarns or fabrics made of worsted or pure animal substances, as above specified, after they have undergone the ordinary scouring process or processes, are passed through or steeped in a solution of chloride of lime of about the strength of 4 Twaddle, and then through a solution of sulphuric acid of about 2 Twaddle. The strength of the solution of chloride of lime and of the sulphuric acid varies according to the nature of the material to .be operated upon, and it has to be determined in every case by practical experience. After the yarns or fabrics have passed through both solutions they are well washed in pure water, and they may now be dyed in the ordinary manner; It will be found that in subjecting the yarns or fabrics to this preparatory treatment they will take the coloring matters derived from aniline or analogous substances much better and brighter than they do when treated in the ordinary manner.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

The application to yarns or fabrics made of worsted, wool, silk, or other animal substances of the solutions herein specified preparatory to dyeing with colors derived from aniline or analogous substances, substantial] yin the manner described.

It. HODGSON GRATRIX.

Witnesses M. S. PARTRIDGE, DANIEL ROBERTSON. 

